Lúa Ribeira: Agony in the Garden

Agony in the Garden is the second monograph by Magnum Photographer, Lúa Ribeira, created in her native country of Spain between 2021 to 2023 in the peripheries of Madrid, Málaga, Granada and Almería. Inspired by the revealing potential of contemporary counter-culture, she has collaborated with young people to make images that reflect on the alienation and uncertainty of the present era, evoking a dystopian landscape suspended in time, one that appears both contemporary and ancient while reflecting the signs of contemporary youth movements and how they convey the alienation and uncertainty of the present-era.

Through its sequence we traverse a barren, almost videogame-like terrain, while encountering people who emerge as characters of an environment that is both local and global. The clothing, gestures and signs show affinities with and influence from online worlds and personas, echoing the extremes of hedonism and nihilism, all of which plays out in the backdrop of a rapidly homogenising world.



It is this collaborative spirit, immersive approach, and in-depth visual research that distinguishes Ribeira’s photographic work, with it often becoming a joint venture between the artist and her subjects. Through this, Ribeira disturbs photography’s weighted disposition to ‘represent’ reality, instead creating drama-infused scenes that connect the dots between past and present narratives. Much of the inspiration behind her work comes from religious motifs (of her native Galicia, Spain), as well as studies into painting and cinema which all become key reference points within the images.

“I worked in the peripheries of southern Spanish cities where the arid landscapes helped ground a project that otherwise refuses a fixed geography. The title, drawn from a biblical passage of worship, allowed me to evoke a blurry temporality. The intention was to connect a very contemporary reality, to more universal themes of suffering, betrayal, impending doom, and other human fears that recur throughout history.” Lúa Ribeira



Through its dystopian and at times absurd atmosphere, Agony in the Garden reflects on a range of global socio-political issues through the contemporary lens of hedonistic counter-cultural movements. Modern-day insignia such as Nike trainers, fast food restaurants and modern cars are distilled and toned down by the arid settings which form biblical backdrops. A visceral feeling of uncertainty permeates throughout the work conjured by the decaying landscapes made on the edges of greenhouse cultivation in Almeria, whilst Ribeira’s inclusion of religious motifs and imagery continually nod towards more universal themes and a suspension of temporality. Underpinning all of this is a sense of tragedy and rootlessness, countered only by the energetic vibrancy of the youthful bodies that parade through the photographs. Over the past decade, I’ve been inspired by the ways younger generations articulate themselves—through expressions, images and gestures that are increasingly global and acutely attuned to the alienation of our times. In a world marked by material excess, digital acceleration, overlapping financial, migratory, and ecological crises, there are certain symbols and aesthetics that echo across geographies—expressing in different ways something about contemporary violence. These movements are often framed as subcultural by the media, photojournalism, and conventional documentary practices. Yet, it is precisely these frameworks that I seek to resist, choosing instead to read between the lines and accept more complex and fragile narratives.” Lúa Ribeira

Agony in the Garden was shown as part of Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum a touring exhibition curated by Charlotte Cotton (2021-2026), as well as a solo display at the Museo Lázaro Galdiano, Madrid (2023)




About Lúa Ribeira
Ribeira (As Pontes, Galicia, Spain, 1986) is a full member of Magnum Photos and is based in Bristol, UK. She graduated in Documentary Photography from the University of South Wales in 2016 and since then has continued her engagement in education running workshops and as a guest lecturer at various universities. She has received the Firecracker Grant for Women in Photography and the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards in 2018. She was nominated for the Foam Paul Huf award and Prix Pictet 2019. Her work has been published in book form by Fishbar, London in 2017, and has been featured in the publication Firecrackers: Female Photographers Now published by Thames & Hudson, as well as Raw View Magazine, “Women looking at Women”.

Her work has been exhibited internationally in both solo and group shows in venues including the International Center of Photography (New York); Impressions Gallery (Bradford); Ffotogallery (Cardiff); Belfast Exposed (Belfast); La Tabacalera de Lavapiés (Madrid); Fundación Luis Seoane (Coruña); and the Beijing International Photography Biennale. Currently her work is part of the touring group show Close Enough: New Perspectives from 12 Women Photographers of Magnum, curated by Charlotte Cotton.
www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/lua-ribeira
@lua_ribeira